Ms Bradford received a letter from
Quigg Partners threatening the legal action yesterday. Ms
Bradford tabled the letter during question time in
Parliament Today.

Sunday Star Times editor Sue Chetwin
told Scoop neither Ms Rankin nor her lawyers had contacted
the newspaper as of this afternoon.

Answering a question
from Ms Bradford concerning the matter this afternoon,
Social Services Minister Steve Maharey said he did not know
about the threats of legal action until this morning.

He
said he would have expected to be contacted by Ms Rankin
before the letter was sent. Public servants needed to take
care with communications with MPs because they needed to be
seen to be neutral, he
said.

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